Metzl Jordan D. - The athletes book of home remedies: 1,001 doctor-approved health fixes and injury-prevention secrets for a leaner, fitter, more athletic body!

All athletes know the frustration of not being able to play due to injury. Decrease your time on the sidelines with these nuggets of wisdom about dealing with injuries large and small.

JULIE FOUDY, former captain, U.S. Womens Soccer team, 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist

Dr. Jordan Metzl has done it again! A clearly written, beautifully illustrated guide for athletes of all ages and levels.

LYLE J. MICHELI, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School and author of the Healthy Runners Handbook

For those of you who are true competitors on and off the field, Dr. Metzl puts you ahead of the game. His knowledge, experience, and forward-thinking methods not only prevent injury, but give you the tools to be the most healthy, athletic, confident YOU possible.

JESSICA MENDOZA, Olympic Gold Medalist, U.S. Softball Team, and ESPN analyst for Major League Baseball

An amazing resource for athletes of all levels, from professional to high school, young to old. There is great advice here for everyone.

RILEY J. WILLIAMS, M.D., team physician, New York Red Bulls Soccer Club

The importance of optimal fitness for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance cannot be overstated. Since an informed athlete will be a more successful and healthier athlete, the highly practical information about injury prevention, recognition, and management in this book will help athletes of all ages and ability levels to stay in the game.

SCOTT RODEO, M.D., team physician, U.S. Swim Team and U.S. Olympic Team

A great tool for professionals to use with their athletes to keep them positive and motivated to achieve their goals despite injury. I found the book exceptionally inspirational and will use it to help educate our dancers.

ELAINE WINSLOW-REDMOND, A.T.C., head athletic trainer, Radio City Rockettes

I am always pushing my body to the edge and riding the fine line between maximizing performance and overtraining/injury. Dr. Metzls advice about striving for balanced and full-body strength and the Iron Strength workouts he teaches have become a critical part of my training and instrumental in keeping injuries at bay. Whether youre an elite athlete, fitness enthusiast, or those looking to lead a more active lifestyle, all will find this book is an absolute must for staying strong and healthy.

SARAH PIAMPIANO, professional triathlete

Dr. Metzl has written a book that will help athletes. The information is clear, concise, and easy to digest. I will recommend this book to my patients as a resource to help them learn about injury and recovery. Well done!

ROBERT G. MARX, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery and public health, Weill Cornell Medical College

Dr. Metzl offers a unique perspective as doctor, patient, and fitness coach to the athlete who is, or in the future may be, injured. His combined approach of staying active, addressing the injury, and providing guidelines on return to play is very helpful.

BRIAN HALPERN, M.D., author of the Knee Crisis Handbook

A great resource for the competitive athlete, as well as the weekend warrior. As an athlete and sports medicine physician, Dr. Metzl has a unique perspective, and the result is a book that is both practical and accurate.

ROBERT SALLIS, M.D., past president, the American College of Sports Medicine

As Dr. Metzl writes, the care and maintenance of the athletic body will decrease injury, help performance, and make training and competition more productive and enjoyable.

DAVID W. ALTCHEK, M.D., head team physician, New York Mets

This book is dedicated to the millions of athletes who wake up each morning at 5:30, with no fanfare, and drag themselves out of bed to keep fit. Whatever your level or ability, may the information in this book help you pursue your goals. The most important thing you can do every day is keep moving forward.

The following people were instrumental in turning the dream of this project into a reality. First of all, my parents, Drs. Marilyn and Kurt Metzl, created an environment in our home that encouraged fitness, learning, and goal setting. All of these attributes have helped me in every stage of my life and career. My brothersDrs. Jonathan, Jamie and Joshuaand sister-in-law Alexandra Metzl have all been training partners, often pushing me harder and encouraging me to do more than I ever would have done by myself.

My patients, now more than 20,000 in number, from professional athletes to those just starting on their first day of fitness, each teach me something different. I am so appreciative for the chance to assist them as they strive for their own goals. Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City has allowed me the chance to practice sports medicine in the most incredible atmosphere of learning, growth, and support. I am so appreciative of my good fortune to have landed there.

Special thanks to my mentors along the way, Drs. Lyle Micheli, Kurt Spindler, and Russell Warren, each of whom has helped shape my knowledge and passion for the practice of sports medicine. Dejuanna Richardson, my strength-training guru at Asphalt Green in New York, has taught me everything I know about strength and conditioning. And thanks to my good friend and office manager Meghan Macalpine, and also to Equinox Health Clubs, both of whom have been so helpful in coordinating my strength and conditioning programs where I teach athletes about injury prevention.

Lastly, Id like to thank the crew at Rodale: Stephen Perrine, Mike Zimmerman, Debbie McHugh, George Karabotsos, Elizabeth Neal, Erin Williams, Chris Krogermeier, Nancy Elgin, and Sona Vogel, who helped transform this idea into one amazing book.

Y ou hurt. Maybe its just a nagging pain, something in your knee. Maybe its a serious painborderline agonyin your lower back. You want to know whats wrong, of course. But theres something else: Youre an athlete. You might be a weekend warrior, or you might be a serious competitor, but either way, you just love to be out there doing it. You love the adrenaline. You love your chosen sport. And you want, more than anything, to get back in the game. How long will this pain keep you out? What can you do to help yourself right now? Do you need a doctors care?

This book will answer all of your questions. You see, Im a doctor. Im also an athlete.

Am I a doctor first, or an athlete first? Neither. Im both at all times, and those two identities constantly feed off each other. If Im on mile 24 of the marathon stage of an Ironman, you can bet that the doctor in me is assessing how I feel. You can also bet that the athlete in me is disregarding my own advice and fighting for the finish line, damn the consequences. And when I evaluate a patient with knee pain, the athlete in me is reminding me of what it feels like to be out of the game and how important it is to get that patient back to full form.

Becoming a doctor was probably my fate. My dad is a pediatrician, my mom is a psychologist, and two of my three siblings became medical doctors (the other guy has a PhD but gives medical advice freely). Helping people is in my DNA. When I was a kid I used to do rounds with my dad, carrying a little plastic doctor bag. Little did I know that my little candy pills would one day be replaced by antiinflammatories.